Second Cup Café — Restaurant in Mississauga

This review covers just under two years of visits.

Pre-renovation the establishment was somewhat dated but cozy. Staff seemed friendly enough. Service was consistent at the times I would visit.

Post-renovation the establishment appeared a lot more modern. The collaboration with Chocolato seemed promising. There was also a period of about 3 months or so where they had some of the most friendly and welcoming barristas/servers.

For the past few months I've been growing less and less happy with this location.

In the start, it was the subtle stare and lack of pleasantries from one staff member in particular. She was genuinely sour as if someone did something to her. I've observed her interactions with other folks and know for a fact she knows how to be friendly - when she chooses. That said I could live with this because that is how some people are, though I'm not saying its right.

Once the same staff even made the wrong drink, insisted that my order was one thing rather than the other... until I provided the receipt to show their mistake. The correct drink was made in the end but it made me miss my earlier interactions with some of the staff who worked on shift immediately after renovation.

Within the past few weeks I've noticed some changes, some of which do not affect me personally but could be detractors for others. The most notable being removable of the option to use a laptop in the main cafe area. I believe the AC plugs under the seats were also removed.

As with everything there is the proverbial straw that breaks a camel's back. Like I mentioned earlier I am not new to this location and have visited numerous times and these have been at various times of day and various days of the week as well. Despite the food being overpriced, despite some staff being crusty, despite always having to ask for a key attached to a ruler to use the washroom, despite the Second Cup app no longer allowing purchases, despite some instances of lack of attention to detail, despite the somewhat messy tables and excessively loud patrons, I could move past it all. However, yesterday my daughter was feeling nauseous and needed to use the bathroom. I sent her into Second Cup with her mother. I came in about 20 seconds after they did expecting to hear that she was using the washroom and was feeling better. Instead, I was welcomed by the sound of one of the staff telling my wife that she needed to buy something in order to use the washroom. As a parent with a child who was feeling sick I found this rather obscene. I know the staff was just saying what management directed them to say but it was in this moment that Second Cup lost my business.

To be clear, I did pay for something so my daughter could use the bathroom but I reconciled this in my heart and mind as a parting gift.

At this point I do not wish to hear any apologies, excuses, or receive any entreaty to return.

I...

Update: I had went into this cafe that was newly renovated. While the renovation looked nice, they had completely missed the point of us going to Second Cup to begin with. It’s supposed to be a cafe. Instead it looked like some ice cream shop and the picnic tables there just feel so ice cold. It really does not feel like I can stay there for prolonged periods of time.

It used to be a place that had this fireplace, even if it wasn’t real, and it had sofas around it. It’s supposed to be a cafe…

I just feel like this location lost its soul.

I went back here kind of missing the cafe vibe. While the ice cream tasted good…it’s not the same…it’s not the same…

Old Review:

The coffee is decent, but the service is not. Very slow in comparison to Starbucks. In fact they have gotten more expensive, and their rewards are quite expensive to get.

I don't really like the attitude presented by the place. Feels too laid back, like they are taking us for granted. There was that altercation where a woman came in screaming, and I heard that all the manager did was laugh. The woman went around insulting the customers, and started recording everyone. There was no serious measure to ban her right away. The next day, when I arrived, the woman was still there. I asked the employees about this, and they were informed by the higher ups that on the next altercation, only then they'll ban her.

So they expect us as the customers to have to deal with a noisy and disruptive customer? That customer already did enough on her last incident. Even if that person has issues, no one coming into a coffee shop plans to deal with such childish and disruptive behaviour.

Another thing that kind of aggravated me is that they did change the rewards system to be more expensive. At least they have an option now to redeem the points for a small coffee. But when I was trying to do that, they told me I couldn't until a certain day comes for when the reward change would take into effect. I just don't like the way of approaching things. So they expect us to just wait until then to then start redeeming our points? Or that we should just be saving up the points now?

At least if we look at Starbucks, they have very friendly employees, they are cheaper, and they in fact give out free samples. They are doing what they can to keep to retain their customer base. Second Cup is not actively doing that from what I see. They are too dismissive of their customers.

I hope they can learn from this. For now, I can give them credit for the quality of their coffees and beverages, and the convenience of the...

I was ( until today ) a regular customer; but today I decided I will no longer give this specific Second Cup at Hurontario & Eg my business BECAUSE THEY DID NOT ALLOW A SENIOR CITIZEN TO USE THEIR RESTROOM simply because he was not a paying customer, The lady said in a very loud condescending voice "you have to buy something Sir before I can let you use our washrooms" !.

They put this petty policy in place a few years back and it always bothered me but never affected me directly because I was a regular. There was a separate incident when they first put the lock on their washroom where a young kid came in and he use the washroom and the staff said to him that by law, that he was trespassing, as this is private property and the washrooms were only open to customers.... poor kid , hewas so embarrassed and he only looked to be maybe 14 or 15, they did not have to scar him like that, I was shocked at how blunt and aggressive they treated him. Now today to turn away a Senior in need of a restroom simply because he did not buy a 2 buck cup of coffee well I found this extremely petty, coupled with how disrespectfully they talked to him this put me so off that I left immediately vowing never to return.

Customer only restrooms are by far inhumane.... Firstly, Pay to Pee is an outrages policy! Having to eliminate ones bladder is a naturally occurring bodily function! Where would you have these people go...in a lane way or behind a building??? After all there is a sense of urgency when someone is asking for a restroom, especially for children and senior citizens!. Secondly, the issue with lock and key bathrooms, the key becomes extremely unsanitary! Putting this aside ...this is a Senior , not some druggie off the street; so why did the common sense or \ discrepancy of the store managers make an exception to allow the elderly man use the facilities???? Then she says off the cuff to another customer if I let him use it I ll have to let everyone use it ! Petty petty petty !

I have no respect for a business that does not respect our elderly. They can keep their washroom key and I will keep my business and take it elsewhere that treats senior citizens...